The name on the signs may be changing, but John Angell isn’t going anywhere. The long-time Dallas City Center agent said he’s excited about his firm’s recent decision to rebrand as Paragon Realtors.
“I’m generally not the type of person that wants to fix what isn’t broken, but I think this is a really good move,” he said. “It’s been really well received. I think it’s going to be really good for our agents, especially the ones who aren’t focused around downtown.”
Dallas City Center began as the first Keller Williams office in the core of Dallas. Eleven years later in 2012, they separated from Keller Williams to become an independent brokerage. Since then the firm has expanded beyond Dallas proper, necessitating a company name that better reflects who they are today.
“It’s been a good transition so far and it’s going to be very smooth,” Angell said.
Angell grew up in Lakewood before going off to school at Stephen F. Austin. Upon graduation, he returned to the area working in sales positions as well as fitness training and management. Around the time he turned 30, he decided it was time for a career change and jumped headfirst into real estate.
Despite jokingly referring to his role as an “emotional punching bag,” he says there is no other field he would rather be in. He considers himself fortunate to work with a lot of great people. Most of the time it doesn’t even feel like work to him.
“There have been great years and terrible years since 2003, but all in all it’s been a really good run,” Angell said. “I’m looking forward to the future and what it holds.”
His business has been primarily based in East Dallas, particularly homes within the $400,000 to $800,000 range. He estimates that nearly 85 percent of his clients have come from referrals. He particularly enjoys working with first-time buyers, many of whom have now evolved into second-time buyers. For the upcoming year, Angell plans to conduct more open houses and sift through the “big soup of information” as he puts is to develop an updated marketing strategy.
Angell admits that he may never become a massive $50 million agent. That would require him to turn people into numbers. Angell would prefer spending time with buyers and sellers to get to know them and understand what they want. And if that eventually makes him a $20 million agent, he would be fine with that.
“I don’t ever want to lose track of what brought me into the business and kept me in it,” he said. “It’s mainly the relationships with the people that I work with and, hopefully, forming a long-lasting friendship afterward.”
